| Moving on from football, to India's passion, my joy | | | | underdogs, Kapil Dev's Indian cricket team won us |
| and the game of eleven fools (as George Bernard | | | | the world cup against the then invincible West Indian |
| Shaw described it) cricket. I think a very few people | | | | Cricket team. |
| in India do not know what cricket is, and the rest | | | | Cricket my love, my passion and a truly beautiful |
| constitute the millions of fools who are ardent | | | | game. I say that because, there are a few things in |
| followers of the Men in Blue (the BCCI Indian Cricket | | | | life, more beautiful for an Indian cricket fan than that |
| team marketed to the core). Cricket for many | | | | lovely Sachin Tendulkar straight drive (down the |
| Indians (including me) is larger than life and the basis | | | | ground), or that immaculate Rahul Dravid square cut |
| of life itself. Cricket is to India what football is to | | | | and not to forget the perfectly timed drives on the |
| Brazil. Ask a true Indian cricket fan what he/she | | | | off-side by the God of the off-side Sourav Ganguly. |
| longs, lives for and cherishes the most and he/she will | | | | Makes cricket seem a touch romantic (Yuvraj makes |
| say "To watch India win the match!" (accompanied | | | | cricket literally romantic, to his female fans, he is also |
| with a big smile). | | | | great at fielding and very good at batting, sorry |
| One of the happiest moments of my life was to | | | | ladies). |
| watch India make it to the World Cup finals in 2003. | | | | It is often said Indians get too emotional about |
| Unfortunately the 23rd March 2003 also turned out to | | | | cricket (I am accused of the same), well the |
| be one of the saddest, apparently Ricky Ponting | | | | accusations are correct. I mean people do get |
| (Punter) had other plans, and as his nickname | | | | emotional in life at some point of time. Life without |
| suggests better placed bets. A few mistakes by the | | | | cricket is unimaginable, sometimes I wonder why? |
| Indian cricket team captained very ably by Sourav | | | | Then I remember that cricket flows through my |
| Ganguly (Dada,Prince of Calcutta, God of the | | | | veins and I inherited the passion (like many Indians). I |
| off-side) saw me, and many Indians, on that fateful | | | | remember my life in two phases, one before the |
| day reduced to tears, in our "Men In Blue" Tri-Colour | | | | 1992 World Cup and the other after it,courtesy Dad |
| painted T-Shirts and faces. Heartbroken we wiped | | | | (though he does not admit it, he loves cricket as |
| the tears off and hoped we would get to see that | | | | much, maybe more). Cricket might not be played in |
| moment of glory which the generation before us had | | | | the Gentleman's outfit anymore but has lost little of |
| witnessed at Lords in 1983. That moment where the | | | | its captivating magic. |